Minerals

What is a Mineral???

Minerals are made up of elements

In order to be a mineral there are 5 important characteristics…..

1. It occurs naturally

2. It is solid

3. It has a definite chemical composition

4. Its atoms are arranged in an orderly pattern

5. It is inorganic (it was NEVER alive)

Which is Which?!

Minerals…

There are over 4000 known minerals on Earth

Some common minerals you might already know are: gold, quartz, halite (salt), and diamond

Some common matter that are NOT minerals are… water (not a solid) coal (made from plants that were once living and

doesn’t have a definite chemical composition)

The Earth’s Crust

8 elements make up 98.5% of the Earth’s crust These 8 element are the most common

46.6% Oxygen (O)27.7% Silicon (Si)8.1% Aluminum (Al)5.0% Iron (Fe)3.6% Calcium (Ca)2.8% Sodium (Na)2.6% Potassium (K)2.1% Magnesium (Mg)

How do minerals form?

1. From magma – as the magma cools, minerals form

2. From evaporating water – as the water goes away elements bond creating minerals

Minerals are Compounds

Most minerals are compounds – when two or more elements combine

Examples:

Galena - compound of lead and sulfur

Quartz – compound of silicon and oxygen

Native minerals

3 minerals that are not compounds, they are only made up of one element

We call these minerals native minerals Copper Graphite Gold

Structures of Minerals

A crystal is a solid with smooth surfaces called crystal faces. Each mineral has a regular crystal shape.

There are 6 common crystal shapes.

If space is limited when the crystal is

growing the mineral might not take

this perfect crystal shape, but it will

just grow in the given space.

Crystal Structure and Physical Properties

Crystal structure also determines a mineral’s cleavage, or the tendency to break along a plane

Why does it do this? The mineral is weak in that area and breaks.

Gems

Rare and beautiful minerals used in jewelry

Let’s Review

Minerals are made up of elements. Minerals can be made of materials that once lived,

like coal. Minerals must be a solid. Minerals can be man made. Minerals have atoms that are arranged in an orderly

pattern. There are over 4000 minerals, each having their

own unique crystal structure. Mineral cleavage is how minerals break along a

plane.